Couple Of Games

Opponent: Binghamton RangersSite: Baltimore ArenaTime: 7Radio: WITH (1230 AM), WAMD (970 AM)Outlook: After smelling out the joint in their last two home games, a 5-1 loss to this same Binghamton team and 7-4 to Rochester, the Bandits figure to put forth a vastly improved effort tonight. They're still skating with two patchwork attack lines, but it's not readily apparent when the defensive corps is having a good game. The Rangers won a couple of games in Carolina over the weekend, Peter Ferraro and Steve Larouche both scoring hat tricks in a 9-7 win last Friday.

BOSTON -- When star-crossed teams cross paths, on a brisk October night that just feels like playoff baseball, something has to give. The Red Sox and Indians had their own separate baggage, years of failure and misfortune, but they also had their respective aces going to the mound. While the talk leading up to last night's Game 1 of the American League Championship Series surrounded the anticipated pitching duel, something indeed was about to give. The Indians' C.C. Sabathia enjoyed a regular season that they will talk about in Cleveland for years to come.

A day after concluding that it would be best for troubled slugger Rafael Palmeiro to stay away from the team for the rest of the season, the Orioles and Sammy Sosa decided that Sosa's season is officially over. Sosa has been at home in Miami since Sept. 7, rehabbing a toe injury, and he'll remain there while the Orioles finish out the season, his agent, Adam Katz, said yesterday. "He is doing well and, basically, he's ready to go back to work, but by the time he got game ready, there might be a couple of games left," Katz said.

The back pages of the New York tabloids are considered prime real estate for the Yankees and Mets, but only when they're living right. It's no place for a struggling team to reside. The streets tend to get a bit too rough. There goes a big division lead. And there goes the neighborhood. If the Mets were seeking more attention from the local media than normally given to their crosstown rivals - like brothers vying for the affection of their overbearing, ink-stained parents - they found the wrong kind.

There have been times in the past six weeks when rookie Baltimore Blast midfielder Chris Simon began to wonder if he ever would play in a Major Soccer League game.Simon, the team's No. 4 draft pick from James Madison University by way of Trinidad, waited and waited for an H-2 visa to arrive from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service office in St. Albans, Vt., that would allow him to play for the Blast.The visa arrived yesterday, and Simon is expected to make his debut this weekend against the Cleveland Crunch during back-to-back games Friday night in Cleveland and Saturday night at the Baltimore Arena.

There has been a lot of talk about ballparks around here lately . . . or hadn't you noticed?Anyway, with the Park at the Yards just hours away from joining the extensive cast of diamonds that have served Major League Baseball the last 120 years, here's a sampling of some of the things that might happen at OPACY before it too passes into antiquity.For the most part, these are tidbits taken from Phil Lowry's splendid research effort culminating in the book "Green Cathedrals."* With the Orioles expected to draw at least 3 million fans this season (for a gate of just under $30 million)

ASHBURN, Va. - It was another correction session yesterday at Redskin Park after another double-digit loss the day before, but the Washington Redskins seemed collectively more chipper than in previous weeks. Maybe the happier tone was caused by the fact that the Redskins played the New York Giants fairly evenly for 3 1/2 quarters of Sunday's 23-9 loss, or because, with the equally hapless Dallas Cowboys next on the schedule, there's a ray of hope for the season's first win. Whatever the reason for the optimism, things appeared to be downright gleeful, compared to the first three Mondays following games.

The worry was evident on the Florida State sideline that night last month at Clemson. It could be seen in the hound-dog eyes of Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden and on the blank-stare faces of his players.Well, maybe not all of his players.There was a little less than 5 1/2 minutes remaining, and, with the Seminoles trailing 20-17, the fans in Death Valley were beginning to celebrate a victory over their new Atlantic Coast Conference rival.But Charlie Ward, the Florida State quarterback, had plenty of time to get the Seminoles one more touchdown.

When you never have a chance to win, which was the case with the Orioles yesterday, the losses are generally easy to handle.The accepted theory is there are 50 games you're going to win and another 50 you're going to lose -- and a team's fate is decided by how it fares during the rest of the schedule. But this year the rest of the schedule is only 44 games, and a loss such as yesterday's 5-0 whitewashing by the New York Yankees takes on added significance.This was a matchup between the No. 2 starter for one team (the Orioles)

By Mark Heisler and Mark Heisler,Los Angeles Times | December 26, 1991

LOS ANGELES -- Clippers stockings were hung by the chimney with care, but the Lakers had a Christmas surprise for them.Rated underdogs for the first time in the cross-town Los Angeles rivalry, threatened with falling to 0-2 in the city series, the Lakers arose from a three-game losing streak, ran up a 22-point lead and defeated the Clippers 85-75 yesterday at the Sports Arena.With a national television audience waiting to confirm the changing of the guard, the Lakers served notice: That guard can stay right where it is."

A day after concluding that it would be best for troubled slugger Rafael Palmeiro to stay away from the team for the rest of the season, the Orioles and Sammy Sosa decided that Sosa's season is officially over. Sosa has been at home in Miami since Sept. 7, rehabbing a toe injury, and he'll remain there while the Orioles finish out the season, his agent, Adam Katz, said yesterday. "He is doing well and, basically, he's ready to go back to work, but by the time he got game ready, there might be a couple of games left," Katz said.

Read our transcript with the Towson men's lacrosse coach Tony Seaman enters his seventh season at Towson. The Tigers finished 11-5 last year and won the Colonial Athletic Association title. The Tigers lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Dominic, Cockeysville: How are the Tigers going to do this year? My mom and gramdmother are alumni and my sister goes to school there now so we are fans. Tony Seaman: I'm very happy with our progress so far but the real test is on Saturday against Loyola.

COLLEGE PARK - Just eight seconds into No. 24 Maryland's 112-67 victory over Liberty last night, Terrapins point guard John Gilchrist hit a three- pointer and then pounded the Comcast Center floor with his hands before getting back on defense. About 13 minutes later, junior forward Nik Caner-Medley converted a three-point play and then hugged and chest-bumped a couple of his teammates. Gilchrist went to the bench for extended stretches of the first half, but he barely sat down and at one point, raised his fist, glared at all five of his teammates on the court and encouraged each to play hard.

Baltimore's Andre Poole has one thing on his mind -- winning MTV's Who's Got Game (Sundays at 10:30 p.m.). With hosts NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and playground legend "Pee-Wee" Kirkland, the show is made up of 12 cast mates who have to showcase their streetball skills to gain the respect of their peers, and to win $100,000. Poole, whose streetball name is "Silk," went to an open tryout and was selected from the thousands who tried out based on their personality, skills and charisma.

The Chicago White Sox are stuck in the middle of the American League Central standings, well within striking distance of the surprising Kansas City Royals and just a couple of games behind the defending division champion Minnesota Twins. So why is Jerry Manuel one of the first managers of 2003 to start hearing whispers about his job security? Things certainly could be worse. The Arizona Diamondbacks are flirting with a double-digit deficit in the National League West and the New York Mets would be only even money to win the independent Northern League.

For most of her college career, Georgetown women's lacrosse goalie Chandler Vicchio played the understudy. Waiting in the wings, she watched Bowen Holden perform the starring role for three years, earning All-America status twice and national Goalkeeper of the Year honors last season. Vicchio, like any good understudy, used the rehearsal time to hone her skills, filling in when necessary and prepping for the day when the star would depart. When her turn came, Vicchio was ready for the spotlight.

About three weeks ago, the South River boys soccer team sported a nifty 3-1 record, including wins over 4A opponents Old Mill and Glen Burnie.Yesterday, after falling to host Severna Park, 2-0, the Seahawks found themselves virtually without any chance of repeating last year's 10-4-1, Class 3A Region IV championship season.Thanks to a dominating Severna Park offensive attack punctuated by first-half goals from Steve Neuberger and Brian Peterson, veteran coach Greg Carroll's squad dropped its fourth straight game, leaving it at a less-than-spectacular 3-5."

Towson State clinched its third straight winning record under coach Gordy Combs, and the reviews for this season lean more toward the positive.There were some grand moments, like yesterday's 38-7 victory over Southern Connecticut before 807 at Minnegan Stadium. It was the last game for seven seniors, and it was a rousing success.If only there could have been more of those. The Tigers (6-4) were flat in a couple of games and paid the price. And they hurt themselves with the kind of mistakes that usually beset a young team, one with the smallest senior class ever at Towson.

MIAMI - For the second time in his legendary career, Michael Jordan may go on the injured list. Jordan, who missed the last six minutes of the Washington Wizards' 92-80 loss to the Miami Heat last night, said that his knee, which was drained just before game time, may force him to miss Wednesday's home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, as well as take a turn on the injured list, a stay that would last at least five games. "That [injured list] could be a very strong possibility," said Jordan after the game.

ASHBURN, Va. - It was another correction session yesterday at Redskin Park after another double-digit loss the day before, but the Washington Redskins seemed collectively more chipper than in previous weeks. Maybe the happier tone was caused by the fact that the Redskins played the New York Giants fairly evenly for 3 1/2 quarters of Sunday's 23-9 loss, or because, with the equally hapless Dallas Cowboys next on the schedule, there's a ray of hope for the season's first win. Whatever the reason for the optimism, things appeared to be downright gleeful, compared to the first three Mondays following games.